Month: November 2021

Vizio’s profit on ads, subscriptions, and data is double the money it makes selling TVs

Posted on by Robin Edgar

It’s been less than a year since Vizio became a publicly traded company, and one consequence of that is we know more about its business than ever before. The TV maker released its latest earnings report on Tuesday and revealed that over the last three months, its Platform Plus segment that includes advertising and viewer Read more about Vizio’s profit on ads, subscriptions, and data is double the money it makes selling TVs[…]

Take Two and Rockstar Use DMCA Claims To Remove More GTA Mods

Posted on by Robin Edgar

As players continue to criticize the recently released GTA Trilogy remastered collection, Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive has decided this is the perfect time to use DMCA takedown notices to remove some more GTA mods and fan projects. On November 11, according to the folks over at the GTA modding site LibertyCity, Take-Two contacted Read more about Take Two and Rockstar Use DMCA Claims To Remove More GTA Mods[…]

Something Awful Founder Richard Lowtax Kyanka Has Reportedly Died

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A GoFundMe is collecting money to put toward the wellbeing of the three daughters Kyanka left behind. Here is the corresponding thread on Something Awful. Original story continues below. Longtime Something Awful forum administrator Fragmaster posted that site founder Richard “Lowtax” Kyanka has died. “I guess I should preface this by saying this isn’t a joke especially Read more about Something Awful Founder Richard Lowtax Kyanka Has Reportedly Died[…]

Latest Windows 11 overrides attempts to avoid using Edge – browser wars again!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Back in 2017, Daniel Aleksandersen created a free helper application called EdgeDeflector to counter behavioral changes Microsoft made in the way Windows handles mouse clicks on certain web links. Typically, https:// links get handled by whatever default browser is set for the system in question. But there are ways to register a custom protocol handler, Read more about Latest Windows 11 overrides attempts to avoid using Edge – browser wars again![…]

2K’s GTA Trilogy Pulled For PC, And Rockstar Launcher Is Broken

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Something has gone very, very wrong since yesterday’s launch of GTA Trilogy on PC. As of last night, all mention of a PC version has been removed from Rockstar’s own site, and the Rockstar Games Launcher app has gone completely offline. Anyone who bought the remastered collection before it vanished is currently unable to play. Read more about 2K’s GTA Trilogy Pulled For PC, And Rockstar Launcher Is Broken[…]

GTA Trilogy Remaster Not Worth The Lost Mods And Classic Games

Posted on by Robin Edgar

After months of rumors, speculation, leaks, and teasers, Rockstar finally released the remastered Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition collection yesterday. It landed with a thud as players encountered and documented countless visual bugs, gameplay glitches, and odd changes to models and textures. Even viewed in a vacuum, this state of affairs is Read more about GTA Trilogy Remaster Not Worth The Lost Mods And Classic Games[…]

ChaosDB Explained: Azure’s Cosmos DB Vulnerability Walkthrough – how to pwn all MS Azure’s hosted databases for all customers – also shows value of responsible disclosure

Posted on by Robin Edgar

This is the full story of the Azure ChaosDB Vulnerability that was discovered and disclosed by the Wiz Research Team, where we were able to gain complete unrestricted access to the databases of several thousand Microsoft Azure customers. In August 2021, we disclosed to Microsoft a new vulnerability in Cosmos DB that ultimately allowed us Read more about ChaosDB Explained: Azure’s Cosmos DB Vulnerability Walkthrough – how to pwn all MS Azure’s hosted databases for all customers – also shows value of responsible disclosure[…]

King of Ad Fraud Zhukov to reign in a US prison for years

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Aleksandr Zhukov, a Russian national and the self-proclaimed “king of fraud,” this week received a 10-year prison sentence for carrying out a $7m digital ad fraud scheme. Zhukov was convicted in May of multiple counts of fraud and money laundering. He was arrested in Bulgaria in 2018 and extradited to America the following year. “Sitting Read more about King of Ad Fraud Zhukov to reign in a US prison for years[…]

Space Launch Start-Up Spinlaunch Just Used A Giant Centrifuge To Fling A Projectile Into The Upper Atmosphere

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A U.S. space launch start-up has, for the first time, demonstrated a kinetic-based system that’s intended one day to put small spacecraft into orbit. The SpinLaunch concept, which feels ripped right from the classic age of science fiction, is based around a vacuum-sealed centrifuge that spins an unpowered projectile at several times the speed of Read more about Space Launch Start-Up Spinlaunch Just Used A Giant Centrifuge To Fling A Projectile Into The Upper Atmosphere[…]

Low-Cost DIY Computer Gesture Control With An I2C Sensor

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Controlling your computer with a wave of the hand seems like something from science fiction, and for good reason. From Minority Report to Iron Man, we’ve seen plenty of famous actors controlling their high-tech computer systems by wildly gesticulating in the air. Meanwhile, we’re all stuck using keyboards and mice like a bunch of chumps. Read more about Low-Cost DIY Computer Gesture Control With An I2C Sensor[…]

Swiss lab’s rooftop demo makes fuel from sunlight and air

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] the pilot system demonstrates an important possible source of carbon-neutral fuel for industries struggling to decarbonise, such as aviation and shipping, which currently contribute around 8 per cent of total carbon dioxide emissions attributed to human activity. But, producing 32 millilitres of methanol in a typical seven-hour-day run, the current proof of concept will Read more about Swiss lab’s rooftop demo makes fuel from sunlight and air[…]

Fifth Circuit Says Man Can’t Sue Federal Agencies For Allegedly Targeting and Tormenting Him After He Refused To Be An FBI Informant

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The secrecy surrounding all things national security-related continues to thwart lawsuits alleging rights violations. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has just dumped a complaint brought by Abdulaziz Ghedi, a naturalized American citizen who takes frequent trips to Somalia, the country he was born in. According to Ghedi’s complaint, rejecting the advances of one federal Read more about Fifth Circuit Says Man Can’t Sue Federal Agencies For Allegedly Targeting and Tormenting Him After He Refused To Be An FBI Informant[…]

EU Plans to Ban Trading Practice That Helps Fuel GameStop Value Surge – or retail traders actually trade

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The European Commission is planning to ban payment for order flow, paralleling potential U.S. moves to stem a practice that hit the headlines during the meme-stock mania. A forthcoming review of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive will include a ban amid other measures to increase transparency, such as a consolidated tape of information about Read more about EU Plans to Ban Trading Practice That Helps Fuel GameStop Value Surge – or retail traders actually trade[…]

Researchers develop program to read any genome sequence and decipher its genetic code – shows underlying evolutionary forces

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Yekaterina “Kate” Shulgina was a first year student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, looking for a short computational biology project so she could check the requirement off her program in systems biology. She wondered how genetic code, once thought to be universal, could evolve and change. That was 2016 and today Shulgina Read more about Researchers develop program to read any genome sequence and decipher its genetic code – shows underlying evolutionary forces[…]

How to Stop Chrome From Sharing Your Motion Data on Android

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Mysk, a duo of app developers and security researchers, recently exposed Chrome’s shadiness on Twitter. In the tweet, Mysk brings to light that, by default, Chrome is sharing your phone’s motion data with the websites you visit. This is not cool. Why you don’t want third parties accessing your motion data To start with, Read more about How to Stop Chrome From Sharing Your Motion Data on Android[…]

Got Anything To Talk About? These Dutch Hackers Want You To Say It To Them

Posted on by Robin Edgar

As we head into another Northern Hemisphere pandemic winter and hope that things won’t be quite as bad this year, next summer seems an extremely long time away in the future. But it will be upon us sooner than we might think, and along with it will we hope come a resumption of full-scale hacker Read more about Got Anything To Talk About? These Dutch Hackers Want You To Say It To Them[…]

Microsoft will now snitch on you at work like never before

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] this news again comes courtesy of Microsoft’s roadmap service, where Redmond prepares you for the joys to come. This time, there are a couple of joys. The first is headlined: “Microsoft 365 compliance center: Insider risk management — Increased visibility on browsers.” It all sounded wonderful until you those last four words, didn’t it? Read more about Microsoft will now snitch on you at work like never before[…]

Robinhood Hack Compromises Millions of Customer Email Addresses

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Someone recently hacked and attempted to extort Robinhood, the popular investment and trading platform, gaining access to millions of customers’ email addresses and full names in the process. The platform revealed the security incident in a blog post published Monday, assuring users that nobody had lost any money as a result of the incident. “An Read more about Robinhood Hack Compromises Millions of Customer Email Addresses[…]

Star System With Right-Angled Planets Surprises Astronomers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

this report from the New York Times about a “particularly unusual” star about 150 light-years away that’s orbited by three planets: What’s unusual is the inclinations of the outer two planets, HD 3167 c and d. Whereas in our solar system all the planets orbit in the same flat plane around the sun, these two Read more about Star System With Right-Angled Planets Surprises Astronomers[…]

No toilet for returning SpaceX crew, stuck using diapers – had just eaten chilli and tacos

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The astronauts who will depart the International Space Station on Sunday will be stuck using diapers on the way home because of their capsule’s broken toilet. NASA astronaut Megan McArthur described the situation Friday as “suboptimal” but manageable. She and her three crewmates will spend 20 hours in their SpaceX capsule, from the time the Read more about No toilet for returning SpaceX crew, stuck using diapers – had just eaten chilli and tacos[…]

Alfa Romeo will debut an all-electric Giulia sedan in 2024

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Alfa Romeo Italian automaker Alfa Romeo is developing an all-electric version of its four-door Giulia sedan. In an interview with Auto Express, Jean-Philippe Imparato, the company’s CEO, said Alfa Romeo would debut the EV sometime in 2024. Additionally, he revealed the car will be built on the STLA Large platform from its parent company Stellantis. Read more about Alfa Romeo will debut an all-electric Giulia sedan in 2024[…]